I've been close to 7000 without 02, and no I haven't climbed an 8000 meter peak; never had the time, or urgent desire, but it's on the bucket list.
Not sure, I'd want to brave the hordes of Everest, but I have respect for anyone who's climbed that thing, guided with 02 or not... whatever, its rad, the biggest mountain in the world.
Alex's Lowe told me." Don't fool yourself, guided or not, oxygen or not, you can still die up there! Three, people died the day, I top out with my client." He went on to say that he carried his client the last 300' to the top and got a huge tip.
I'll never forget those words...Or my friend, Alex... for that matter.
Oh, your question, all the guys were cool on 300 and I was stunt rigging and not really apart of the scene, I wouldn't know who's real MMA or not.
I can't climb 14 now, but I could once.. So, if I say I'm a 14 climber is that BS? Buddy, when you get to a certain level of maturity, none of that crap matters anymore, trust me.
EDIT, we were working 6 and 7 day weeks, and Mark was training multiple world class guys everyday, and doing his own workout; on his one day off he slept and hiked, I'm sure if we had the time we would have gone climbing. We where in Montreal and the ice was great, I would of love to be drag up some stuff, with a ice master, but such is life.
I'm not saying they weren't real - I'm saying it was entertaining. It was cool that he would come out and say it. I could tell it was real terror, at least in the sense that it seemed like the real normally unspoken thing. I guess the marvel was that somebody could climb and feel that way. Sex with death! Death to Sanity! It pretty much just goes with the territory; No country for old men.
Let us know!